Police in India have launched a murder probe after a controversial influencer was found dead in the back of a car two days after heading to a promotional event.

Kanchan Kumari, famous for stirring controversy with her videos posted to her nearly 400,000 followers, was tragically found dead on Wednesday night in a car park at Adesh Medical University in Bathinda, Punjab province, India.

Locals called the police after reporting a foul smell coming from the car.

Police found and identified the body after searching the car, which was registered to an address in Ludhiana, a city around 80 miles away.

The cops' investigation revealed she had left her home on Monday, telling her family she was travelling to Bathinda to attend a promotional event.